


Tennessee Whiskey

by freshiewrites



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort Food, Fluff, Food, Garbage Diving, Gen, Malnutrition, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:48:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25710874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshiewrites/pseuds/freshiewrites
Summary: Edge has been trying to figure out who's been getting into his trash at night. He wasn't really expecting Leo.
Relationships: Papyrus & Papyrus (Undertale), Papyrus & Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LordTypos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordTypos/gifts).



> this was a request from LordTypos on Twitter!
> 
> im glad you enjoyed it ^^
> 
> enjoy :D

The noises started sometime around midnight, always in the garage, and always quiet and barely detectable. Edge would go and investigate, but there would never be anything there except the knocked over trash cans, the trash hurriedly scooped to the brim of the cans as if someone had tried to clean up but had been in a hurry to get away.

Whoever it was, it wasn’t a simple animal, seeing as how the camera Edge knew he had in his garage for thieves was always blocked. Well, that and the cleaned up trash. 

He’d set out benign traps, simple things to catch animals, and really, that had been the downfall of whatever, or whoever had been getting in his trash. He’d awoken one night when a loud crash sounded from the locked up garage, his instincts on high alert as he stalked through the house, following the loud sounds of screeching and general cursing that had filled the rooms. 

Red was still asleep, likely hearing the cacophony but willing to let Edge deal with it. It was a simple enough guess that someone had broken in, but Edge was pretty well unimpressed with what he found as he threw open the garage door, the light coming on in blinding increments. 

There, their tail stuck in a raccoon trap, was a skeleton, fluffy ears laid back against their skull as they tried desperately to get their equally fluffy tail out from the trap. It had snapped shut over it in a way that meant that whatever they tried to do, the trap only grew tighter.

Edge sighed, clearing his throat loudly when the skeleton seemed to only grow more and more distressed.

“May I ask how you broke into my home?”

The skeleton jerked upright, eyes wide as they looked up at him owlishly. 

“I uh.” They started, then stopped, looking away for a moment as if to find a suitable lie. “I was delivering a pizza and got lost?”

Edge raised a brow. “Delivering a pizza, you say. Where is said pizza?”

The skeleton opened their mouth, ready to deliver an obvious answer, only to realize they’d been caught. Glancing around, the desperation growing, they gave one last mighty tug on their tail… only to yelp out in pain.

Edge huffed, walking forward and ignoring the way they flinched back as he grabbed the trap and unhooked the latch, the thing popping open like a reverse bear trap and releasing the wayward tail. The thing instantly curled up against its owner, the skeleton scooting back a little as Edge got back to his feet. 

“Well, if you’re hungry enough to steal from my garbage, I guess I’ll just have to take care of matters myself.” Edge said, simple and rough, turning on his heel as he headed for the garage door that led into the kitchen. He didn’t hear the skeleton following him, but as he looked back, the thing looked terrified, but had gotten to their feet and was lagging behind, but following.

He let them into the kitchen, pulling out a chair at the table before pillaging the cabinets and freezer for a few easy to make meals. They seemed especially interested in the pizza pockets, so Edge threw a few handfuls of those on a plate and stuck them in the microwave. 

Then he set about making an actual meal, something that would shore up their magic, seeing as how it was pale and almost sickly looking in their joints. The dangers of malnutrition. He knew them well, and assumed that this skeleton likely did as well.

The pizza pockets were done in just a few minutes, the cheese oozing from the corners as he set the plate in front of them. It was only a few seconds of a stare off before they were scarfing them down like they hadn’t eaten a good meal in months… which very likely could have been true. 

The rest of the night was spent cooking eggs and biscuits, piling them high with chunks of cheese and pepper, as well as a few small sandwiches that he’d made with the few ingredients they had left in their fridge. The skeleton ate every bite without a single word, their eyelights flitting unbelieving from each piece of food that Edge set in front of them.

It wasn’t until Edge’s back was turned, his hands covered in suds as he washed the dishes, that they finally piped up.

“‘M name is Leo.” It was said through a mouthful of food, but Edge had had plenty of experience in hearing words through food from his brother. 

“My name is Edge. It's good to finally meet the raccoon that’s been in and out of my garbage.”

There was a choking sound behind him, Edge’s mouth turning up into a smirk.

He’d explain to his brother in the morning about the new tenant, or well. Perhaps pet was the correct word, seeing as how this “Leo” seemed to really only enjoy food and making jokes about things that seemed strange to joke about. To Edge, at least.

He’d also have to tell the others what was going on with their trash, since they’d all been kept up to date so far. Blue and Papyrus especially would want to know, Razz perhaps as well but that was always a toss up on whether or not he’d care that much.

For now he’d make another plate of eggs and wait for Leo to fall asleep after he’d made him a bed on the couch. 

It’d be a long night, but Edge was finding that he didn’t mind so much, the itch of needing to take care of someone being satisfied in a strange way. Leo was an excellent new pet, eating everything he was given before passing out in a weird ass position on the couch. 

Edge shook his head. He was a damn fool for this. Once a fool, always a fool. Just the way he liked it.


	2. Ride or Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this is something i didnt expect to get updated for a while, but have one anyways!! surprise :D
> 
> there'll be another part as well, but here is the end of the year update!!
> 
> enjoy :D

When the others finally came over to meet Leo, it was a bit of a shock. For one thing, the guy seemed kind of out of it. Not dumb, but not fully present in the current situation. He just seemed happy to eat and be given food and get a few scritches along the coronal suture by Edge and whoever else was willing to do it.

Red had met him that next morning, eyelights pinpricks as he tried to piece together what the hell had happened the night before. Edge had helped him with a few key missing factors; mostly that Leo had gotten his tail stuck like an idiot but that Red was never to call Leo an idiot. There were new rules in the house that Leo was to adhere to, but that Red was to as well.

The first was that Leo was to get a bath every Thursday. That was an experience for the three of them for sure, seeing as how Leo was a neko skeleton and therefore didn’t actually enjoy getting wet. Edge had had to wrestle him into the room, new scratches on the walls and the door post that Red was wincing at but Edge was ignoring as he forced Leo into the goddamn bathtub. 

The ensuing two hours were grueling, hard work to keep Leo from just clawing the shit out of them and escaping, but with Edge and Red both holding him down, eventually the squalling Leo sat in the tub and wailed, but didn’t fight to get out anymore. Edge took full advantage and scrubbed thoroughly, his tail and ears a little more carefully dealt with but still fully cleaned.

Once he was finished, Edge let Leo hop out of the tub, the skeleton shaking out his bones and tail like a dog before taking the towel that Edge handed him and running from the room. Edge found him later under his bed, drying off his tail in meticulous strokes, the rest of his bones gleaming with droplets of water. Sighing, Edge went to make dinner, leaving a plate of it just under the bed. Every bite of it was gone by the time he came back, which was a good sign. 

The other new rule was that Red was not to manhandle Leo unless Edge wasn’t there and it was an absolute emergency. Leo was to be fed every two hours no matter what; Edge had started making premade meals and setting them up for Leo to open himself whenever he felt hungry enough.

Leo had looked at Red one day, staring him up and down before asking “Can I sit there?”

Red glanced at the remaining couch space next to him, sighing before patting the cushion he wasn’t laying on. “Knock yerself out, kid.”

Leo chirped, happy as he all but pounced onto the couch, dragging a blanket and the switch with him. He had crops to attend to on Stardew Valley, he’d explained the few times Red had cared to ask. 

~.~

The first time the Swap brothers met Leo, Blue was bringing over a leftovers bowl from a dinner Edge and Red had had to leave early. They went ahead and came inside when there was no answer, Edge’s motorcycle in the driveway and Red’s car in there as well. Which didn’t mean much when it came to Red, but Edge at the very least was home, so they opened the door and headed inside, Blue straight to the kitchen and Stretch in search of Red to see if he could borrow a new game. 

Stretch stopped mid stride, however, as Blue called his name with a small amount of trepidation from the kitchen. He hurried back through the living room and through the kitchen doorway, to find Blue standing there with his back to the door, leftovers held tightly in his hands. 

“What's up bro, is something-” he stopped mid-sentence, catching sight of what had Blue stock stil.    
  
Standing in a crouch on the counter was a skeleton with a big bushy tail and a pair of cat’s ears, eyelights in mere slits of color that were staring hard at the container of food in Blue’s hands. Blue glanced down at it, then up at the skeleton, carefully popping the lid open and setting it on the counter before backing away. The skeleton stared hard at them both, before their eyes dilated and the steak inside the box was in their mouth and they were pushing past and out the door, on the way to Edge’s bedroom.

“What the fuck was that??” Stretch whispered harshly, Blue shrugging. 

“That is my new pet project.” Edge’s voice came from behind them, the two brothers jumping nearly a foot in the air as Blue spun around, hand on his chest as he glared at Edge. 

“Are they okay??” Blue asked, clearly concerned, but Edge waved him off.

“He was just due for his meal. He’s very territorial over food. Thank you for the leftovers, but I’ll see you both later?”

Stretch wanted to call bullshit, mostly because it was damn rude fo this random cat guy to steal food meant for someone else and then take off, and then for them to get kicked out. Blue didn’t seem to mind though, shaking Edge’s hand and giving him a short hug before taking Stretch by the hand and leading him back out the door before he could say anything stupid. 

~.~

The first time that Papyrus and Sans met Leo, it was a bit of a healthier, more wholesome interaction. He’d decided to wander outside, Red keeping an eye on him from the lawn chair he’d set up, the thing a bit dusty from sitting in the garage, not that Red cared. 

Papyrus had headed over for a few sparring sessions with Edge, Leo unaware and so surprised when Papyrus pulled up in his bright red convertible, windows down and heavy metal blaring. Leo stared in shock, watching Papyrus as he hopped out over the door and headed through the yard, fistbumping Red and running into the house with a whoop of a holler. 

“Who the fuck was that?” Leo asked, confused as all hell, but Red just snorted.

“It's just Paps, he’s chill.” Red said from under the magazine covering his face, so Leo went back to scaling the oak tree that the Fell brothers had in their front yard. He’d made it about halfway when the sound of a shortcut came from below him, Leo almost losing his balance as he peeked down, only to find another, shorter skeleton standing next to Red. They almost seemed angry, but before Leo could jump down with a war cry, Red called up to him. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout Sansy, jus’ keep on climbin’, we’ll ‘ave burgs fer supper.”

Leo gave out a whoop of his own, continuing to scale around the tree, checking out every branch.

He didn’t notice the conversation going on below him, not until there was another shortcut noise and Red was alone, now sitting and staring off into space. Leo climbed down carefully, hopping down the last few branches to get to Red as quickly as possible, kneeling down beside him with a concerned look.

“You okay? Did that asshole say something?”

Red glanced at him, huffing a laugh before pushing his face away. “Don’ worry about me, kiddo, lets head inside and get the burgs goin’, yeah?”

Leo frowned, but didn’t push it. “Yeah okay, put extra cheese on them this time though?”

Red snorted, nodding. “Whatever ya want.”


	3. And They Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here is the last chapter of an honestly really sweet platonic pairing ^^
> 
> Typos i had a lot of fun writing this :D i hope it lived up to what you were wanting :D
> 
> enjoy!!

Somehow it had never come up just how and why Leo had been stealing from their garbage for weeks. The skeleton had been so grateful for a place to sleep and plenty of food to eat that it hadn’t been an issue, not until Edge was sitting at the kitchen table, writing out reports for his job, Leo crashed out on the couch. 

Leo’s mouth was hanging open, fangs showing as he snored, and Edge found himself staring as he wondered just… why Leo was homeless in the first place. 

Yes the guy was kind of clueless, but he was nowhere near stupid. 

Which was why it was a bit strange that he didn’t really like the others all that much. 

He’d imprinted on Edge, that was for certain. Edge knew that the day that he’d woken up with Leo sleeping on the end of his bed, sacked out in the worst possible sleeping position. Edge had only covered him up with a blanket and started his day, Leo screeching into the kitchen later to grab his bowl of oatmeal and the switch and set up on the couch where he could see Edge.

Why had he been homeless? Why was he eating out of the garbage? Why didn’t he care for Sans or Papyrus or Blue or Stretch?

Well, Stretch Edge could see, the guy was a little bit of an asshole on his bad days, but weren’t they all? The others, Edge really didn’t understand the inherent distrust… except maybe he did.

Thinking about it, Leo did give off the characteristics of a hurt and abandoned animal. He had sentience of course, the kid snoring like a chainsaw on his couch, drool falling from the corner of his mouth.

But he didn’t trust easily. Sure, he trusted Edge and Red with his life now, would even fight for them, if what Red had to say was true. But in the beginning? There was none. Edge was the person who fed him and told him where to go and what to do and that was the extent.

These days? Leo would bring over his switch to ask Edge what a certain type of flower was called on his game. Edge would pass by later to find the island covered in that type of flower, several different colors to be seen. 

He’d been asking Red to help with grilling food, even though the fire clearly made him anxious. He’d successfully flipped a few of the steaks the last time it’d been warm enough to grill out, Red having an almost paternal look of pride on his face as Leo regaled Edge with his exploits of messing with the grill. 

He was so different now… so much so that it made sense that he didn’t trust the other yet.

And upon that revelation, there was a knock at the door.

Edge sighed, setting down his pen and paper he’d been writing signatures on, heading for the door and noticing that Leo, while to the eye still asleep, was no longer obnoxiously snoring. Deciding to leave it be, Edge answered the door, finding Blue on the other side with a large tupperware box that smelled somewhat spicy.

“Hello Blue, what can I do for you? I’m afraid Red isn’t home.”

Blue flushed his namesake, Edge smirking a little as he waved his hand. 

“I’m not here for my boyfriend, but thank you Edge.” Shuffling with his hands, he offered the tupperware. “Leo said over the phone with Red and I that he’d never been able to try anything hotter than a jalapeno, and I told him I’d make something suitably hot for him to try!”

Edge took the box, lifting the lid to find a glorious platter of nachos… with what smelled of habaneros scattered through the salsa. 

“...Thank you, Blue. I’ll see that he tries it, at least. I’m not sure what his heat tolerance is yet.”

Blue winked, backing away as he started back down to his car. “No worries, I’m sure it’ll get eaten by someone!”

Edge chuckled, waving goodbye as Blue hopped into his car and backed down the driveway, watching to make sure he made it alright before turning back in the house. He had somewhat expected the sight of a still drooling Leo to find him, wide awake and crouched on the couch with his eyelights focused hard on the tupperware. 

Edge sighed, but was definitely smiling as he beckoned Leo to follow him to the kitchen while he heated up a portion.

It didn’t really matter if Leo enjoyed the dish or not, seeing as how, like Blue had said, it’d get eaten either way.

What really mattered was the extended hand of companionship, and… it was something that Edge appreciated for something he cared so much about.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed, consider leaving a comment!


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